The Yale-China University Leadership Advanced Seminar was inaugurated on August 7, 2017. Yale President Peter Salovey held an evening reception at the Peabody Museum of Natural History on the same day. Consul General Zhang Qiyue and Education Counselor Xu Yongji were invited to attend.

On behalf of all the presidents and chief administrators of China's leading universities who participated in the seminar, An Yufeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Peking University, delivered a speech. An said that all the university leaders present cherished the opportunity of conducting face-to-face communication with President Salovey and Yale deans to discuss issues regarding university management, strategic planning, general education, innovative cultivation, high-quality teaching, and professor appointment. An believed that the seminar participants would be deeply inspired during the meaningful visit.

Zhang Qiyue also spoke at the evening reception. Zhang first extended a warm welcome to all the university leaders on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in New York and expressed sincere gratitude to Yale University as the co-sponsor of the seminar. Zhang said that Yale had accumulated much experience in executive training since the very first Chinese University Leadership Advanced Seminar held in 2004. Zhang believed that this year's seminar would inspire the university leaders to propose new concepts, ideas and measures in building world-class universities.

Zhang pointed out that communication and cooperation between China and the U.S. would deepen as the four high-level dialogue mechanisms between the two countries gradually implemented. Educational exchange and collaboration, which served as the foundation of social, cultural and people-to-people exchange, had been the most active and long-lasting driving force for China-U.S. relations. Zhang believed that Yale, an old friend who paid close attention to China's development, would deepen, promote and upgrade China-U.S. educational cooperation in all fields, on all levels, and via all channels together with Chinese universities.

Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, attended the reception and performed three pieces of music with two Chinese students.

This year's Yale-China University Leadership Advanced Seminar is a specific initiative in the spirit of China-U.S. High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange launched in 2016. More than 60 guests attended the evening reception including 15 presidents and chief administrators of China's top universities who participated in the seminar, Yale University deans, administrative chiefs, Chinese professors and scholars.